Weekend cooking class in San Isidro with a friendly couple

Meet Virginia Maria

Food and cooking are at the heart of Virginia and Lucas’s lives. Virginia is a trained chef with formal culinary education, while Lucas comes from a large Portuguese family where cooking for gatherings has always been a cherished tradition. Together, they love preparing traditional Argentine asados (barbecues) for friends and family. Virginia also has experience working in a winery store and is knowledgeable about Argentine wines. She is currently training as a breastfeeding consultant and offers talks and courses on first foods for children and nutrition. Both Virginia and Lucas are passionate about exploring Argentina, discovering local ingredients, and learning regional recipes to bring authentic flavors to their cooking experiences.

What to expect

Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.

In-home meal: (1-5 guests) Virginia and Lucas warmly welcome you into their cozy, modest home in Argentina with a traditional mate and soft music setting the mood. Virginia will translate for Lucas, who does not speak English, as they share insights into Argentine history, culture, and culinary traditions. Gather at the dining table for an authentic homemade meal featuring classic Argentine dishes such as picada (a platter of artisanal meats and cheeses), asado (traditional Argentine barbecue), or disco stew on rainy days. Finish your meal with desserts like alfajores, panqueques de dulce de leche, or homemade rice pudding with dulce de leche. Their friendly dogs may even join you to make the experience feel like dining with a welcoming Argentine family.

Cooking experience: (1-5 guests) Join Virginia in her cozy Buenos Aires kitchen for a private, hands-on cooking class where you’ll learn to prepare 2–3 traditional Argentine dishes from scratch. Most of the prep takes place at the dining table in her intimate kitchen, making the experience personal and interactive. Over 1–2 hours, discover how to make classic dishes such as pollo al disco (chicken and vegetables slow-cooked in a traditional Argentine stew), criolla sauce (a flavorful Argentinian salsa for meats), chimichurri (the iconic green sauce), and stuffed red peppers. End your culinary journey by learning to make traditional desserts like alfajores or panqueques de dulce de leche. This Buenos Aires cooking class is perfect for food lovers seeking an authentic Argentine culinary experience and a deeper connection to local flavors and traditions.

Market visit: (1-5 guests) Begin your authentic Buenos Aires culinary experience with Virginia as she takes you to local shops to buy fresh ingredients for your cooking class. After meeting at the train station, she will drive you to a traditional butcher shop for premium cuts of meat, then to a greengrocer for seasonal vegetables, and finally to a fiambrería to pick up cheese, salami, and sweet potato jam. This is how locals shop, giving you a glimpse into Buenos Aires daily life and food culture. Observe Virginia interacting with vendors and learn insider tips on selecting the best ingredients, before heading back to her home to prepare and enjoy a traditional Argentine meal.

Notes:
Pick-up and drop-off from San Isidro station are included.
Virginia can accommodate vegetarian meals upon request.
On rainy days, the traditional asado will be replaced with alternate homemade Argentine dishes.

Languages spoken: Spanish, English, French.

Sample menu

• Appetizers: Picada (differet types of salami or stiff meat, cheese, cold blood sausage, marinade eggplants and bread)
• Main course: Asaso (barbecued meats such as tira de asado, chorizo, morcilla, chinchulines plus filled red peppers and potatoes+chimichurri and criolla sauce) or chicken disco (served with vegetables) or lentil stew.
• Desert: Sweet potato jam with cheese and homemade alfajores or panqueuqes with dulce de leche or homemade rice pudding with dulce de leche

Traveler reviews

Dear Fellow TripAdvisors,
I recently visited Virginia and Lucas’s beautiful home to learn about Argentine cooking and spend time to meet and learn more locals who actually have grown up and live in the beautiful city of Buenos Aires.

This trip began in the late afternoon with a trip to the local market. We visited various shops thereafter to learn about what kind of foods can be found in which stores and can be commonly eaten. That was really a good lesson and opportunity to see what tasty foods the city has to offer because indeed-the locals know best. 

Upon returning to their beautiful home with all the produce, we shared drinking a delicious pot of mate and a chance to learn more about the family.

After the mate, we began preparing the various hors d’ oeuvres and appetizers to accompany our tasty local beer and wine. Time was also spent outside in the garden enjoying the delightful summer weather learning from the master Asador Lucas on how to prepare the items for the grill. From vegetables, to soft baked potatoes and of course the meat-there is something delicious being prepared for everyone.

Once the grilling had started, I was back inside helping prepare other dishes with the host Virginia. I am not a good cook, but Virginia with her kindness, patience, and generosity to share cooking knowledge had made the l whole cooking experience incredibly insightful!

We eventually finished cooking the meal and finally all went outside to enjoy the Argentine feast right outside in their garden over great food and exchanging good stories about the beautiful country and past travels. The warm summer weather was perfect, and made for a fantastic day to past time cooking and sharing a meal with the locals.

After hours of talking, eating and drinking into the night and when I thought it was over-we went back inside for one last cooking lesson. Making homemade Alfajores with creamy dulce de leche and a lemon frosting. While I admittedly had many alfajores during the trip, nothing beats homemade ones.

This was the first trip I had undertaken, but it has truly been a smashing success. I highly highly recommend the experience and hope you too will have a chance to share a homemade meal with Virginia and Lucas on your next trip to Argentina.

Because if you don’t, I most certainly will on my next trip to Buenos Aires and Argentina.

Happy travels-fellow traveller.

Reviewed by Isshin(Eddie), an American who recently has spent 2 weeks traveling Argentina and Uruguay.

- Imorimoto January 11, 2020

My wife and I really enjoyed our time with Virginia and Lucas! We were able to prepare and cook an authentic Argentinian asado starting with buying the products at the local shops, and then, preparing and cooking in their home. Virginia put a lot of time and thought into the menu, and I had some dietary restrictions which she was able to accommodate. The food was delicious, and we really enjoyed learning more about Argentinian food and culture. We would definitely recommend booking with Virginia and Lucas!

- Trail592877 April 27, 2019